Christmas tree lighting bulb socket support



H. B. PETERSON CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING BULB SOCKET SUPPORT Oct. 23, 1951 Filed March 3l, 1947 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STAT-.Es i. PATENT OFFICE.

GHRISTMASTREE v'LIGHTING BULB'SGGKET SUPPORT HowardQB. Peterson, S an Franci'scn Calif..

APplCaftDnMailUh 31, 1947; slial N0. '738;398

, LClaim.. l'`

This invention relates to a Christmas treelighting bulb. socket support and has. for, oneA of... its objects a system thatis easily, adapted` to.s.ub.-.. stantialls.7 any Christmas treeand. that.,.facili... tates. the positioning. and arrangingof. the lights. in a uniformor other manner, asdesired.. Ane. other object,V of the. inventionis theprorvision of.Y a safe,economical,Christmastreelighting system.' that is adapted; to any sizedtreeandthatcan be extended or restricted,.as desired, without having any surplus wiresor the like in. the tree. v A still further objectof` the.l invention. is. the; provisionof. Christmas.treelightsockets that are, adapted` to. be quickly. secured .ont-he ends of; the,4

limbs ofA thetree inl uprightpositionfor holding;r

Whichthe wires are adapted-.topeinconspicuously positioned. along4 the trunkw and limbs, instead. offbeing. draped in theopen.v

. In the conventional. Christmas .treez lighting.n systems, vwhether the light-bulbs are yconnectedfin;l series. or, i'n. parallel, the. arrangingf,v 0L thel bulbs,- a very difficult problem.. The. preferred. ar-.- rangement. is.. to position the. f bulbs; at `the.l tips; of4 the branches or limbs; Howeyer,.this=is seldom:- possible and attempts to accomplish this end generally results indraping cords from the end of one limb to the end of another, causing the limbs to sag dueto the Weight ofr the cord being localized at the outerends' of the branches. It is; purely a matter ofy coincidence ifi the light bulbs happen to be close to ther desirediposition.

relative to the branch, andsome limbs. go without lights` whileothers have too many. Furthermore` the light bulbs Willnot stand upright; like candles, andv any. attempt; to; shift the'bulbs is fraught with danger to,V the entire tree; and ornaments.-

- The present invention`V overcomes alli. ofthe above disadvantages and enables the decorator to.. quickly make a uniform arrangement? of the lights or any other desired.arrangement;,

Other, objects and advantages` will appearin the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic- View of the trunk and :-,1im.b.s.v of. a; Christmas tree with the vpresent lightingsystem.

. Fig.,2jis. a side elevationall view.. of one.4 ofj the electric light bulbs in a socket ofr this invention.

Fig. 3A is a side'elevational view of the bulb and socket of Fig. 2 as seen at right angles to the latter.

Fig.. 4-is. a bottom planLviewrot the:bu1bfsocket-. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through one form off outlet'A member. that may, be used on. the;` tree trunkg. showing the outlets for` plug connectors: Fig; 6- isa sectional: viewofv another: form: of'

. outlet. member.v that; may bev used,. showing the;

outlets for plug connectors.

Fig. 7 is a side view ofi ones of; the. conductors for.- useo-n the limbsshowingthe'plug connectors; at; the ends; of. the conductor; the latter being. broken in length.

In detail, referring to Fig. 1",.most`allconvenlV tional Christmastrees have a trunk I` fromlwhichf limbs zfextend radially at: differenti-levels. y The: number or"Y level'svaries with; the size: of the` tree', but Vat each'Y level thel numberf of limbs practically' never'exceeds six andisyusuallyless.- The trunk issupportedivertically ona base-3i;

The present system includes a plurality off outlet.- membersdrthere being preferably one out;-- let member aty each*v of the diiTer-ent levels atl which the limbsLeXt'en'dfrom thetrunk-f Il.

Each4 of these outlet members is preferably pro- 1 v idedf with4 a screw 5 projecting fromv the side= opposite theoutlets for screwing' into trunk Il thereby removably securing the-outletf-members to the tree.

Each outlet memberY l!A haslv socketsI 6'1' between or in conductors 1 thaty extendz in parallelispacedE relationship throughthe member- 4. These sockets are in pairs, one being in one-conduct`or`- and; the other being in the otherconductorf'thus providing.' outlets adapted'l to receive the y prongs'` 8`' (Fig. 7')ofa' plugconnector9`-(Fig; 7)`.

In Fig. 5' the outletfmemberhassockets- Illatv one of theA ends of conductors- 'F for receivingv prongs 8 of a connector 9? of'A the type shown in Fig. '7.' The'oppositeends of-l conductorsv T'may be secured'to the'wires-of alconductorcord Il as-y shown' in Fig- 5' or they may be' theV same asa sockets |50 in Fig. 5-as best shown inFig; 6 thus#- making aconnector tha-t mayY connect atA opposite ends with a plug socket. This. type maybev employed: for the upper' connections 4f (Fig. 1'). Thefsockets Bopen outwardly from OppOfSitesidesy of each connector Ill thus'providingsix, outletsv forsix plug connectors.

Each' connector; 4'; has ai screw 5V securedto' the ,l bo'dy'ofi the connector and projecting fromA one` side thereof' that is between. the.y opposite.. sides.. havingV said` outlets. Thus the connectors.may.l be quickly screwed to,v the. trunk. 0in the.. tree.. by. merely rotating the connector, using it as a handle for the screw. While other means may be used for clamping the connectors to the tree,

the screw is the preferred means, being simple, economical, strong and positive.

The electric light bulb sockets are best shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 each of which comprises a body I5 of Bakelite or the like having a pair of outwardly opening sockets formed in two adjacent sides thereof at right angles to each other. In one of these sockets is the conventional metal socket (not shown) for receiving the base of a conventional Christmas tree light bulb I6'.

In the other Socket I 'I extends terminal prongs I8, I9 that respectively are adapted to connect With the filament terminals of the base of lamp bulb I6 in the usual manner.

The side of the body I5 opposite the light bulb I6 is formed with a generally inverted V-shaped channel 20 having friction grooves 2| extending longitudinally along opposite sides thereof so that the body will not tend to Slide around the limb of a tree when said limb 2 extends in said channel and is held against the sides there- The channel 20 preferably extends parallel with the direction in Which the Socket I1 opens. Thus, when the body I5 is on a limb with the limb 2 in the channel the socket Will face the trunk I of the tree.

Pivotally secured to one Side of the body I for swinging to and from a position extending across the channel 20 is a clamp arm 25, which may be in the form of a resilient wire doubled on itself to provide spaced parallel runs extending across said channel, and a closed end 26 connecting the outer ends of said runs. The end opposite-s'aid closed end is pivotally secured in a lug 2T projecting from the Side of the body.

The side of body I5 opposite lug 21 is formed with rib 28 projecting from said Side, which rib has teeth 29 in its outer edge adapted to be successively engaged by the closed end 26 of the clamp. By this structure a yieldable clamping means is provided for clamping any sized limb in the channel 20. The spring of the wire forming the clamp arm enables an easy release of the end 26 from teeth v29 aswell as enabling variation in the tension of the clamp against the limb.

In operation, the connectors 4 are rst positioned adjacent the levels at which the limbs 2 project from the trunk I and are screwed to the trunk at said levels.

The conductors II are then connected with the connectors forconnecting the latter in parallel with each other and with a source of electricity,- a conductor 30 extending from the lowermost connector to a conventional outlet in the base board of a room or elsewhere.

The electric light bulb socket members may then be secured to the tips of the limbs 2, or in any desired place along the limbs, and by means of the clamping arms on Said socket members, the latter may be positioned with the bulb socket opening upwardly so the bulb will be upright. The socket I'I for the connection plug 3l of the cord 32 (Fig. 7.) faces toward the trunk I, thus making it easy to. insert the connector plug -9 at one end of cord 32 into any pair of outlets 6 in the connector 4 that is at theY other end ofthe limb carrying the particular light bulbsocket t o be connectedv with said connector. The cord thus' completing the circuit.

There is no Stringing of cords from limb to limb of the tree or the diflicult attempt to position the cords so the lights Will hang at the right points on said tree.

The disassembly of the lighting system from the tree is equallv easy. The plugs 3| are disconnected from the light sockets and the latter including the bulbs are quickly` removed. Thereafter the conductors 32, are removed from the limbs and from connectors 4v and nallythe connectors 4 and conductors Il are removed.

The prongs 8, I8, I9 Sockets 6, I 0 are preferably of different sizes on each connector 4 and plug connectors 9, 3| and on the lamp bulb socket to meet the Safety requirements, such procedure being conventional.

It is to be understood that the detailed description and drawings are not to be considered restrictive of the invention, but merely illustrative of a preferred form.

' I claim;

In a 'Christmas tree lighting System of the character described, an electric light bulbsocket member comprising a body formed with outwardly opening Sockets directed at substantially right angles to each other one of which is adapted to removably receive the base of an electric light bulb therein andthe other being formed to receive an electrical connector plug, means carried by said body at the side thereof opposite said lamp socket for detachably Securing Said body on the outer end of the limb of a Christmas tree with the Said lamp socket directed upwardly and with the plug Socketv directed toward the trunk of said tree, said means being a pair of jaws, one jaw of said pair formed on the saidl body and having a cross sectional contour generally conforming to the cross sectional contour of said limb, and the other jaw being provided` HOWARD B.v PETERSON.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this :patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number' Name Y Date 319,177 Bernstein June 2, 1885 1,187,571 Van Meer June 20, 1916 1,922,022 Barnett Aug. 15, 1933 2,057,078 Abramson` Oct. 13, 1936 2,219,568 Stewart Oct. 29, 1940 2,227,123 christen Dec. 31,' 1940 2,253,164 Benander Aug. 19, 1941 2,277,532 Smith Mar. 24, 1942 l2,477,833 Auer Aug. 24, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date n i 366,351 France. Q.- July 26, 1906 576,352 Erance May 1o, 1924 

